Bank of America – Hundreds Nonetheless Unable To Entry EDD Advantages From Bank of America Due To Ongoing Fraud Suspicions – CBS Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Mandy Types was in tears as she recounted her expertise as a sufferer of EDD fraud.

“I am alone, so I have no family. I have no one to back me up,” she stated.

Types, who lives in West Los Angeles, had her EDD Bank of America debit card drained final month.

“Like, all the money was gone,” she stated. “It’s $6,800. It doesn’t sound like a lot to some people but to me it was everything.”

Although Types stated the debit card by no means left her possession, her account was used to spend 1000’s on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

“I called EDD on the card and they put me on hold for five hours and then hung up on me,” she stated.

Types filed a police report, and she or he stated Bank of America advised her it was EDD’s drawback to unravel.

CBS San Francisco first reported in regards to the fraudsters draining the accounts of unemployed Californians in October. At the moment, the EDD workplace stated 350,000 debit card accounts had been frozen resulting from suspected fraud.

“It’s extremely unfortunate that Californians have suffered at the hands of scammers across the country,” the EDD workplace stated in a press release to CBS2/KCAL9 on Thursday. “The EDD is devoted to doing all the things potential to make sure authentic claimants get the advantages they’re eligible to obtain whereas working with our federal, state and native companions, together with Bank of America, to close down fraudulent claims and produce offenders to justice.”

Gabriel Rodriguez, who lives in Corona, stated he’s now homeless after his account was drained of $1,600.

“Any family member that would take me in, that’s where I was at,” he stated.

Based on a press release he wrote on-line, EDD took the cash out of his account. Then, Bank of America froze it so he couldn’t entry any of his incoming unemployment funds.

“After which I acquired a letter within the mail from Bank of America telling me my declare was closed and that was the ultimate resolution and so they wouldn’t refund me that cash,” Rodriguez stated.

This week, Congresswoman Maxine Waters referred to as out Bank of America for what she referred to as “unacceptable” habits, for permitting EDD debit playing cards to be “frozen, closed, or drained without notice.”

“And then, people can’t get any answers,” she stated. “They name EDD and so they say ‘it’s not on us,’ name Bank of America, after which Bank of America says ‘name EDD.’”

Waters stated Bank of America must refund the cash to potential fraud victims instantly.

“It is not the bank that will lose any money,” she stated. “The bank is getting paid for doing the work for us.”

In a press release to KCAL9/CBS2, Bank of American stated: “This system is sadly riddled with billions of {dollars} in fraud. Criminals have discovered methods to steal cash from the state and the debit playing cards of authentic unemployment recipients. We’re working intently with the state to get authentic claimants their funds however the felony fraud makes it very difficult.